May Scoutbook Update

Probably should be PII and PCI Compliant before everything else... just saying.

+1 to Gregory
I'm an experienced administrator, how can I join the team?

Scout Accounts!! I financial record keeping aspect is essential...

Scott,

Payment Log is designed to handle Scout Accounts in Scoutbook. Parents must have Full Control connections to view Payment Log data and treasures need Full Control connections o edit Payment Log data.

For IRS reasons and those packs that are chartered by non-profits...can we call them anything but Scout Accounts? (maybe some way to change it at the unit level)

Jen,
Payment Log does not say "Scout Account" anywhere. The IRS does not have an issue with Scout Accounts in general. The concern is if the Scout is credited with a percentage of sales for her personal use it could run afoul of the no personal gain regulations. A Scout Account could simply be a place to track money the Scout and family deposit money for the troop to use to pay the Scout's expenses so the family is not writing checks each month.

The description on the Scout's Payment Log page says:
This page is where you can view all payments received for <Scout>. Use the comments area below if you have any questions.
Keep track of dues, activity costs, down payments for summer camps or high adventures and more. See what is owed and what has been paid. Only Admins and Treasurers are able to add or modify the payments log.

I don't know why the statement about questions is there. Only the unit sees the comments in the Scout's Payment Log.

Amy,

We do not know what the feature set for the new calendar will be. Allowing calendars to use groups for the invitation list is on the requested feature list.

The volunteer written and supported Feature Assistant Extension for Scoutbook for Chrome and Firefox has a feature to make adding new Scouts to calendar invitations easier. Search the Chrome or Firefox extension stores for the word Scoutbook.

I agree with Amy. Leaders set up an event and list the requirements they will work on.
Then after the event, we go back, list the attendance and then go to Quick Add and check off the Scouts and requirements completed. I
It would be nice if when we updated the attendance Scout Book that it would auto update the requirements that were scheduled to be completed.

James,

Not every Scout who attends an event completes the planned activities. This is why Scoutbook does not automatically credit advancement based on attendance. There have been discussion about filling out a Quick Entry screen based on attendance but at this time we do not know if that will be implemented.

Adding to Ed's post: Also some requirements cannot be completed at just one meeting / activity. So the Scouts might work on that requirement, but take multiple meetings / activities before it can be marked off as completed.

Scoutbook is wonderful and I send my warmest thanks to all of those who are working to maintain and improve the software.

We would love to see automatic population of Award Requirements as this is an example of where our troop doesn’t know this part of the program well. For example, the National Outdoor Achievement Awards all require Earning a Scout First Class Rank. When a scout earns the rank advancement and it is entered under the advancement tab, can that automatically carry over to the awards? Same principal with the merit badges, like the National Outdoor Achievement Award for Camping. Example once Camping, First Aid or Pioneering are completed under the Merit badge side, have them auto populate the Award Side.

This seems to be working for the World Conservation Award v2016 (Boy Scout) Requirements but nowhere else.

It would make our record keeping easier by eliminating redundant data entry and give credit to the boys who are doing great work for these awards and not realizing it.

As a Supernova Mentor, the Dr. Luis Alvarez Supernova requirements are nowhere near correct. Would someone please address and update the requirements to reflect the current standard?

It would be nice to see some training for use of scout book. We have university of scouting, but it's not until November when I or the leaders know how to use it. We need it now to get started before Sept when the pack return to the meetings.

Paul, please click the Scoutbook User Advisory Council Badge below my trained Badge to the left. That will take you to numerous topic specific guides that we have.

We really need a quick entry option for the Payment Log. Applying activity fees and dues are a bear at the moment to manage.

Mike,

The Feature Assistant Extension for Chrome and Firefox adds Quick Entry for Payment Log. Search the Chrome of Firefox extension store for Scoutbook.

I have some parents who have multiple email addresses. how do you add a second email to an existing profile?
Thanks

John,

Scoutbook only supports 1 e-mail address per person.

Since the IT road map includes "Make our volunteer and staff Scouting experiences easier". Does that include us that are overseas in the Far East Council/ Transatlantic Council and removing or updating the validations associated with addresses, phone numbers... that do not conform with a United States format?

Is there a way to address the issue of once an event is set and persons are invited, if a new Scout joins they have to be manually entered into the event and another reminder has to be sent to get them the info about the event. This keeps me from adding things too far ahead in our pack calander. If we hit the all Scouts button can it actually be all Scouts?

YiS,
Brandon

Brandon,

The calendar is scheduled for a major upgrade later this year. We have not been given a final list of features but making adding new Scouts easier is on the list. In the mean time, we recommend using the Feature Assistant Extension for Chrome or Firefox as one of its features is to make adding new Scouts to events easier. Search the Chrome or Firefox extension stores for Scoutbook.

still hoping for Den Chief Support...

How to document Scout Strong in Scout Book?

I'm with Carrie on hoping for Den Chief support. I feel like there should be a way I can add my Den Chiefs to my Pack Scoutbook.

How about a way to document who signs off on a rank requirement. Right now the only way to do this is on the paper version of the Handbook. the higher rank boys and parents are allowed to sign the book, but when the Admins go to verify, there is no way to know who actually checked the skill.

It has been requested before, but it would be nice to be able to record everyone who participates in an event (camping, service, etc) including all adults and scouts. would help with JTE , Order of the Arrow, and other awards.

Dave,

Recording who completed, approved and awarded each req and award is in development. It will only apply to changes made after it is released. The change is complex and is taking time to get right. It will be released when it is ready.

Dave, we have found that if the person checking the requirement enters a comment then it will show who checked it on the needs approval screen.

I have brand new scouts. I added them into scoutbook but cannot sync them because their BSA membership # is not in their account. I tried on 1 boy to add his BSA membership # and now I'm being told this BSA account # is assigned to someone else in scoutbook. I took the BSA # off the list the scout office sent me. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!!!

Three things
1. Den Chief Support
2. A way to designate and event as a "Summer Time Activity and tie it to the award
3. J2E reporting for all Pack KPI's

Theresa Fife,
Please send an email to scoutbook.support@scouting.org include the Scout's name, membership ID, your unit type, number and council; and what your problem is. They will be able to help you.

If you have issues or questions, please post them to the forums. They are a better place to follow up on these sorts of things. Or you can write scoutbook.support@scouting.org

Quick note about Chrome extension: Feature Assistant Extension
Chrome > Settings > Extensions > Search Scoutbook only showed the "Export this report to Excel " extension I had previously installed.
Had to click the Chrome store button to find "Feature Assistant Extension"
The following is a link that fully explains what the chrome extension can do. It is mighty impressive!
chrome://extensions/?options=paemmmaolgojladlndlbpgjpmflfcjoa

I'm surprised to see that Service projects don't differentiate Service to Conservation being some requirements very specifically state must be Conservation hours.

Mitchell, currently the logs are set up similar to the logs in the back of the Boy Scout Handbook. We have requested that Scoutbook add a checkbox (or something similar) for conservation-related service hours, but we do not know when it might be added. In the meantime, I just put [Conservation-Related] or [CR] in the Location field. You can also add it to the Notes / Journal field.

I think that I am missing the boat here, I ad my position of advancement chair...but it still does not allow me to create/import my troop from troopmaster. How long shall I wait before I am able to build my troop? Thank you.

Bill there is no need to wait. Look under my subscriptions and scroll down to troop subscriptions. Does it say that you have an active subscription? If so, someone else already started one and will need to add you as a unit admin. If not, you can start a free trial.

Can we get a report for the payment logs for the troop/pack.

Stacey, a payment log report exists already. From your Pack/Troop page, scroll down to Pack/Troop reports and then click Payment Logs Report.

Stacey, you must have a full control connection to all Scouts at the level you are trying to report to see the Payment Log Report option.

Echoing Teresa's concerns, I am still hoping to have an easier way to bring scouts into our unit from Packs. We have them registered in akela with our unit but are having a devil of a time getting unit releases and connection permissions from other packs.
Hopefully, the answer will be that Scoutbook will automatically permit connections and memberships once that Scout is shown as enrolled in Unit in Akela. Not sure why privacy is a concern given that we have access to their Akela records anyway as well as their applications on the front side.

Again, right now I have to email the parent and have them email their former Pack leader to have that Pack leader either add me as a connection or change the membership to Troop 497. Assuming they do the latter, I then have to go to that scout and send a permission request to be able to track the scout. really frustrating process to bring in scouts from other units.

Adam, if you run into difficulties getting a Scout transferred into your troop, please e-mail: scoutbook.support@scouting.org. Please be sure to include as much identifying information as you can (Scout's name, BSA ID#, troop number, council name, etc.).

Amy West's suggestion is a Big Deal and would really help close the loop in the Fall when so many scouts are coming and going. This would at least ensure EVERYONE is made aware of all the existing events. I've had numerous scouts miss out on events/mtgs due to this issue. From a Leader's perspective, its WAY too time consuming to make sure ALL scouts are on ALL applicable invite lists.

Kory,
The calendar is scheduled to be updated later this year. Member management is on the requested feature list. At this time the BSA has not provided us with the final feature list.

Until the calendar is updated, I recommend using the volunteer written and supported Feature Assistant Extension for Chrome and Firefox. It allows you to easily add new Scouts to existing events. Search the Chrome or Firefox extension stores for Scoutbook.

It is critical for you to add the retention and access to Sent Messages in order for Packs/Troops to use this is a manner that is supportive of Youth Protection. Cubmasters and ScoutMasters would be a bit negligent to give others access to this system with ability to send messages when they can't see what was sent and you are not retaining a copy.

Megan,

There is nothing in the Youth Protection requirements that mandate that Cubmasters and Scoutmasters be copied on all e-mail sent to their Scouts or families. Scoutbook is in compliance with Youth Protection by forcing parents to be copied on any e-mail or text sent via Scoutbook to youth. BSA legal has reviewed Scoutbook's messaging implementation and signed off on it.

Regarding the Payments Log - It appears that only parents with Admin Rights can view a scout's payment log (payments, cash flows, balance) data. Do I misunderstand? We would like all parents to have READ access to check/validate/confirm his/her own scout's payments and balance. Is there a way to allow parents to see his/her payment data without the ability to edit payment data? We also want to restrict a parent to see ONLY payment of his/her own account but not others. This would save us printing out payment data and hand it to each parent. If possible, I think this would be a great feature. Why not give parents ability to see their own account payment data (as long as they cannot edit or change any payment data)? i.e., just like how a bank account would work. I would appreciate your help here.

Our Pack has used a Google calendar for quite some time, resulting in most of our Pack members having their various calendar apps / devices automatically syncing. I have found where I can add the Scoutbook calendar to my Google calendar. Is there a plan to allow the sync to flow the other direction? Google calendar -> Scoutbook calendar?

How often does the auto link feature run? Can this sync run both ways with IA and populate. I am not seeing my entries updated in SB or IA? It seems they need to be entered in both still. I tried to sync and it told me we are on auto sync.

Ryan, it does sync both ways. You do not need to enter in both. Note that if entering in Scoutbook, you’ll need to hit the start over and load roster in IA for it to update. I’d also give it at least a day or two to sync. If you have further concerns, please post in the forums where your issue will get more visibility.

I would love to see better integration of Commissioners. It won't take an Assistant District Commissioner designation or higher. It also shows me affiliated with whatever unit I happen to be looking at. For example, this entry shows me as part of Pack 650, but I am district registered. Thanks for your good work.

J2E tracking and roll up to the District please!!!!!

I'm also an IT professional, is there a way that I can contribute?